HC directive on church car festival

A petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking to allow the car festival of a church to pass through Dalit Christians' area in Ulundurpet in Villupuram district.
Petitioner Matheiw, representing the Dalit Christians, also sought to quash the May 21 last order of Revenue Divisional Officer of Tirukoilur directing that the car festival be held around the Jebamalai Matha Church.
The RDO had passed the order in view of a dispute between Dalit Christians and Vanniar Christians on the car festival route through the Dalit localities in the past, he submitted.
When the matter came up for hearing, a vacation bench, comprising Justice M. Sathyanarayanan and Justice M V Muralidharan, today directed the RDO to conduct a joint meeting of the Scheduled Caste Christians and Vanniar Christian groups tomorrow and take a decision by May 28.

The bench noted that a representation has been submitted stating that both groups would organise the car festival in a peaceful manner without any law and order and other problems.